From A to Z, a Book Deciphers Cooking

By FLORENCE FABRICANT - Published: January 10, 2012- The New York Times

Every so often publishers issue kitchen guides with definitions, measurements, conversion tables and the like. The Culinarian: A Kitchen Desk Reference is crammed with an unusual amount of information, organized alphabetically from “absinthe” to “zwieback.” The author, Barbara Ann Kipfer, is a seasoned lexicographer, and it shows. Search for “chicken,” and you’ll find two pages of tips and a list of 50 chicken breeds. The shrimp entry decodes size grading, and for meringue, four varieties are defined. The book is a voyage of discovery, with useful information and fascinating trivia on every page. The first few pages list smoke points for various oils, and measurements, yields and equivalents for many foods. In one puzzling choice, though, the book provides weights and measures for medium-size eggs, not the large ones that most recipes require.

The Culinarian: A Kitchen Desk Reference, by Barbara Ann Kipfer (Wiley, $19.99). 


Footnote:
The Bookman is off to check this title out today.I suspect it may be too US-oriented for my purposes but I'll have a look anyway.